Zutara month 2015
by turtleducklingg
Summary: A book of zutara one shots for Zutara month.
1. Day 1- Secret Lovers

_• Secret-_ _not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others._

 _• Lovers-_ _partners in a sexual or romantic relationship outside marriage._

The sun had set in the Fire Nation sky, leaving the dark Raven of night to overtake the Pheonix that ruled daytime hours. The Fire Nation had been bleaker after the war, less festivals and celebrations. Guilt outweighed blitheness, drowning even the most light hearted ones. There were no fireworks to light up the black sky, no noise of the crowd to block out the howling wind and screeching cat owls.

Katara had to be quiet. The waterbender avoided alleyways and sidesteets, keeping clear of the night folk who roamed the little streets looking for trouble. Katara had just turned 25, and she knew that she had quite visible curves that people could find...appealing. She had felt many eyes on her, but she carried on walking. Even if they did make a move, she could easily defend herself. Besides, they would probably back off when they saw her face. Who would try to get the avatar's wife?

When she had reached her destination, he was already there. A dark hoodie shaded his usually sharp features, making him almost unrecognisable, but the way he held himself hinted he was more than the average night lingerer.

Hearing footsteps come towards him, his eyes flickered up, his golden irises now visible, almost glowing in the night. He was calm and collected, but she knew that fire could explode out of his hands at any moment he chose. His eyes softened immediately when he saw the familiar cerulean necklace around her neck. Their eyes met and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. They didn't say a word to eachother. Words weren't needed. Their eyes danced in a language of their own, the ocean waltzing with the sun. They swayed slightly, taking eachother in. They had waited for this.

His gently kissed her forehead and moved down to her cheek, her eyelashes brushing delicately across his face. He pulled back for a moment, wanting to experience her beauty again. Her soft eyes, her slightly parted lips, her cinnamon skin tone, her dark hair that fell in waves down her back. She leaned in and skimmed her lips across his. His eyes closed, as did hers, as they kissed. Kissed softly like droplets of dew on veridecent leaves; softly like butterflies' wings and cats' whiskers; softly like the quiet patter of rain on a April morning; softly like a small fire, swaying in the breeze.

Time went by and fire grew, as did the kiss. Their lips became more passionate and their tongues danced together. She swirled his hair around her fingers, her hands skimming his neck, chills shooting down his spine. Their kiss was powerful. Powerful like waves of water crashing along the sand; powerful like a pulsing fire, crackling in the wind; powerful like their love. She suddenly pressed him against the brick wall they met at, tugging on his bottom lid with her teeth.

She rises with the moon.

Her hands on on his chest, sliding under his shirt, drawing patterns on his torso.

Her hands, which he saw caressing Aang's face so many times, just like his hands had cupped Mai's chin. Her lips, which he saw brushing against Aang's so many times, just like his lips has pressed against Mai's. But Aang's feelings for her weren't returned, and neither were Mai's feelings for him. Their feelings were reserved for eachother.

Their hands, their lips, their love, meant for other people by the rules of marriage.

I suppose, that's why they were a secret.

 _AN: hi guys! I hope you like my first entry for Zutara month, I really enjoyed writing it! It pretty self explanatory, with Katara and Zuko being secret lovers and meeting eachother at night. Please review, I will hopefully write one for tomorrow's prompt if I can think of an idea._

 _~Bri_


	2. Day 3- Drunk

_• Drunk-_ _affected by alcohol to the extent of losing control of one's faculties or behaviour._

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Nobody knew how Sokka got the cactus juice.

Heck, Zuko didn't even know what cactus juice wasuntil Sokka brought it in, claiming it to be _the best thing ever._

The night of the invasion, everyone decided to have a little celebration. After a some dancing, singing and an impressive, albeit forced, tsungi horn performance by Zuko, Toph and Aang left to go to sleep. It didn't matter that they had saved the world at age 12, they were still kids and, according to Katara, needed 9-10 hours of rest.

This left Sokka, Suki, Katara, Zuko and Mai to have a slightly less innocent party. Mild drinks were passed around, and Katara was supervised with the watchful, big brother eye of Sokka to make sure she didn't drink too much. Uncle was supposed to be watching everyone, but he must've decided that, like Aang and Toph, he too needed 9-10 hours of rest, and was dozing in his armchair.

Sokka and Suki has been dancing with eachother for a while now, having a great time. Zuko walked over to Mai, who hadn't been participating in anything for the whole party.

"Wanna dance?" He asked hopefully.

"No." She folded her arms.

"Do you want another drink?"

"Not really."

A few moments of awkward silence followed, before Sokka yelled something out.

"Ey, bro!"

Zuko looked around.

"Bro, come over here." Sokka gestured to Zuko. Apparently he was referred to as bro now.

"What is it?"

"Do ya want some cactus juice?"

"Some _what_?"

"Some cactus juice. It's this stuff inside cactuses-"

" _Cacti_."

"Whatever, this stuff's great. It's, like, _the best thing ever._ "

"How did you get this...cactus juice?"

"Uh...I don't really remember."

"Okay, you've drunk too much already, you're certainly not having cactus juice."

"No, bro, I already did. I'm asking if you want some."

"No thanks."

The party carried on, and Zuko was getting tired. He closed his eyes for one minute, and the next, everyone was gone. Judging from the giggles of Sokka and Suki in the room a few doors down, the couple had left to have their own fun. Mai seemed to have left, presumably in boredome, and he was left here alone. But where was Katara?

He scanned the room, looking for the girl, and found her sitting where Sokka had been, chugging cactus juice.

 _Oh_. Sokka must've gotten too tipsy to supervise his little sister any more, and it seemed she was having a good time with the alcohol.

"Katara," Zuko said as he approached the girl. "I think you've had enough to drink now."

Then the most terrifying thing happened. Her pupils widened unnaturally, and her face turned bright red.

" _Drink cactus juice!_ " She said. " _It'll quench you! It's the quenchiest! Nothing's quenchier!"_

Zuko had seen Katara at her best, her worst and her bitchiest, but nothing compared to this.

"Katara, are you oka-"

"Oh my god, it's Zuzu!" She interrupted. "You're like a little kitty! So fluffy..." Katara proceeded to fluff up Zuko's hair. _What the hell?_

"That cactus juice is fuc-"

"Don't swear!" Katara exclaimed. " _Bad kitty!"_

"Okay, it's time to go to sleep!" Zuko decided, dragging Katara to the nearest bedroom.

"But I'm not tired!" Katara yelled, pouting.

"Yes you are." Zuko insisted, tucking her into bed. _This is awkward._

"No I'm not!"

"Yep, I'm pretty sure you are." Zuko got up to leave.

"No!" She exclaimed, making him turn back around. "Stay?"

Puppy dog eyes and the pleading sound in her voice forced him to fulfil her wishes.

"Sit here." Katara patted on the edge of the bed as he did so. They looked at eachother for a few moments, before he needed to ask:

"Is this your first time drinking?"

"Yeah."

"And you decided to get really drunk?"

"I didn't decide anything!" She said, suddenly defensive. "It just...happened." She paused for a second. "Well, it's not like you didn't have anything to drink!"

"Yeah, but I can hold my alcohol."

"That's...that's not fair!"

"Life's not fair."

"You're being a meanie! Bad kitty!"

Zuko sighed. "Why does this happen to me?"

"See? You're mean."

Zuko just shook his head and sighed as they sat in silence for a few moments.

"I'd like..." Katara burst into giggles. "I'd like to kiss you."

Zuko moved back. _What did she just say?_

"Is that you or the cactus juice talking?"

"Cactus juice can't talk, silly!" Katara laughed. "I wasn't the first one to talk about it! Suki said you were good looking back when I hated you."

"But...Sokka!"

"I know. But she said it's like a museum. She can only pick one painting, but she can admire them all!"

Zuko couldn't think of anything to say, so he stayed quiet. Katara, on the other hand, did not have the same idea.

"I kissed Aang today." She sighed.

This didn't surprise him. The avatar had a very noticible crush on her since who-knows-when. What did surprise him, was the way she said it.

"I kissed Mai today." Zuko said in the same tone.

"It's hard, isn't it? Feels like you need to give them something to make them happy, but the more you do that, the more it will break their heart if you end it. So you keep going, until you realise that you've caught yourself in your own trap. It's like a two headed eat viper. As it poisons it's victim, it's also poisoning itself. I think love is a type of poison."

Zuko blinked at her words. It seemed they were going through the same problem. Their eyes locked, Katara leant in but-

"No." Zuko pushed her away. "I can't do this. You're drunk, and even if you weren't, it wouldn't work."

She sighed at his words, though she knew they were true. They were quiet for a little while, not an awkward quiet, just thoughtful.

"Tell me a story." She demanded.

"Tell you...a story?"

"Yeah!"

"I'm no good at telling stories."

"C'mon Zuko, please? For me?"

"...fine." He gave in. He knew he was being a pushover, but what could you say to a drunk 14 year old who you may or may not have feelings for? "Well, one day...there was this turtle duck. He was a small turtle duck, and no one really liked him, so-"

"What was his name?"

"His name? Uh...his name was Lee, but everybody called him Junior...because his dad was also called Lee. Anyway, um, no one liked him, and he saw all these other turtle ducks swimming in this other pond, and he thought that maybe they would like him better. So he swam over to the other pond, an-"

"how did he swim to the other pond if it's a whole different pond?"

"Good question. Well, the other pond was connected, but it was forbidden to swim in any pond but your own. He became an enemy to his pond when he left. So...um, but when Lee- I mean junior. Lee junior. When he got to the other pond, he realised no one liked him because he was from his pond...and no body liked his pond. So then he tried to go back to his pond, he wasn't allowed, he was an enemy to his pond now. The only way he could come back was if he travelled to all the other ponds ponds."

"There are more ponds?"

"Yeah. And all the ponds are connected. So he swam to all these other ponds, and he found that all the other ponds hated his pond. When he finished swimming to all to all the ponds, he realised he didn't want to go back to his own pond, so he stayed in one of the nicer ponds who didn't hate him because of his pond...because they didn't believe in generalisations. And then he married a nice turtle duck girl and they lived happily ever after. The end."

"You suck at telling stories." Katara stated.

"What did I tell you?"

"...Can you stay with me?"

"I..." Zuko decided to be a pushover again. "Sure."

It was awkward to climb into bed with her, but he slowly got used to her steady breaths against his neck. And, though she wouldn't remember this night and he wouldn't admit it...it was nice.

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 _IF ANY OF YOU ARE UNCLEAR NO THEY DID NOT DO THE SMEXY._

 _Hey guys! I hope you like my day 3 entry, it was fun to write. I will judge you if you didn't expect cactus juice in this one._

 _I was a bit uncomfortable with this prompt, because hey, 13 year old girl here who's favourite drink is summer berry fruit juice, but I'm happy with what I wrote. I wanted vulnerable Katara and awkward Zuzu, so hopefully that is what you got. This one turned out to be pretty long, but that's mostly because of all the speech in here._

 _Sorry for the language. There's not really a good synonym :P_

 _Can I just say Zuzu the awkward turtle duck literally just gave his life story to a turtle duck and gave that turtle duck his fake name because that is just how awkward Zuzu the awkward turtle duck is._

 _Hope you liked my entry, please comment and vote!_

 _~Bri_


	3. Day 4- Lost

_Lost-_ _1\. unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts_.

• _unable to be found._

• _unable to understand or to cope with a situation._

 _2._ _that has been taken away or cannot be recovered._

• _(of time or an opportunity) not used advantageously; wasted._

• _having died or been destroyed._

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He watched the water.

The ripples, the waves, the gentle flow of the liquid, his golden eyes flickering like flames in the blue tinge. He sat there, staring into the endless abyss of his opposing element. He was unmoving; a statue, the dark shading his stony features, his expression grey and lifeless.

She watched him. He always went to the pond. Every night, refusing her offers of love with a silent shake of his head. Every night, she was left alone, her expensive robes sweeping the marble floor and her traditional Fire Nation shoes echoing wistfully. Every night, she gazed out the window, watching him as he sat there.

She loved him. Loved him more than the the endless earth, the bottomless ocean, the vast sky, the infinitive fire. More than the tears that slipped down her cheeks at midnight, the anger she kept inside of her. More than he loved her, though she doubted he loved her at all

Mai knew where she went wrong. She had crushed on a happy boy, an innocent boy, a boy filled with his mother's love, a boy without a scar. They fell in love as teenagers, but after so much time apart, he had stopped loving her, while she did not. But she had fallen in love with the lie she had created for her self, a mirror image of that happy, innocent boy. Over time, she tried to fall in love the the traumatised, scarred, misunderstood man she had married. She tried so hard, and she succeeded, to an extent. What she couldn't understand, is why he didn't love her.

He must have been thinking logically when he picked her to be fire lady. The daughter of an important political figure and a highly-respected woman? The public would accept her for sure, and she, being in love with him, would accept his hand in marriage. He didn't seem love her even early on, but why couldn't he grow to love her? Even in arranged marriages, the partners often develop feelings for eachother. Why couldn't that be her story?

Only when the ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe visited, the Fire Lady came to understand why her husband couldn't love her.

She was a beautiful woman. Dark hair that fell in soft waves down her back, smooth skin the colour of warm cinnamon, perfect curves that were common to the woman of Water Tribes, and gorgeous oceanic eyes that seemed to light up the whole room when she smiled. Based on that alone, she could see why her husband had fallen for the waterbender.

But it was more than that. The ambassador and he had a special bond, a painfully visible connection that shined brighter than the sun to Mai's eyes. Of course, the Fire Lord and the waterbender had been strong allies at the end of the war, taking out Azula on the day of Sozin's Comet. What wasn't so well known, however, was the obvious relationship between the two. Mai didn't know, and didn't want to know if they were still together, but even if they weren't, it was clear they still loved eachother dearly. She had heard rumours about how the woman had lost her mother to the war at the tender age of 8, and how the Fire Lord (a traitor to the Fire Nation at that time) and went to find her mother's killer, breaking many laws in doing so. Paired with the fact that her father, a known water tribe warrior, was absent to fight in the war, the waterbender had presumably grown up much too quick. Just like he had.

Mai realised that who she thought the firelord was was not true. He was not misunderstood, she just didn't understand him. To see the empathy between the ambassador and he proved this. The pair were parallels of eachother, their histories linking so well that it wasn't a surprise they cared for eachother so deeply, so visibly. Mai had been blind to her husband's true self, but witnessing the brutal honesty was agonising. The man she had taught herself to love disintegrated in front of her, and the man that was left did not hide his love for the waterbender.

In the time the ambassador visited, the fire Lord seemed more spirited than Mai had ever seen him. He had smiled - a true, unforced smile- multiple times, but his joy was directed at the woman dressed in blue sitting across from him. This woman had brought out something so wonderful, so at peace, in the Fire Lord, that Mai had never witnessed before.

When the ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe finally left, he returned to his normal self immediately. The close off, uncaring, stony faced man that was always shown to Mai. Unlike the time the waterbender was here, when he would still disappear at night, but not to the pond, he returned to his usual spot again.

She watched him. Watched him sadly as he gazed into the clear liquid with heartbroken eyes, longing for his love. She now understood why her husband would push her hands away when she tried to skim her fingers along the scar on his chest, and the unreadable expression on his face as he did so. There was rumour that he had taken lightning to her chest for the waterbender, and she had healed him with her waterbending. She now comprehended why he wanted to name their child Izumi, meaning source of water, and the look on his face when she questioned it. She now grasped why whenever he got the oppurtunity to take a week or two off his duties, leaving his Fire Lady to keep the country in order, he would never tell her where he was going, and would always come back with a distinctively blue gift. Mai knew that she had lost his love to the waterbender, and that the waterbender kept it locked in her heart, where the Fire Lady could never get it back. It was all there in his eyes, flickering in the ripples like flames.

He watched the water.

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 _Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this one, it was interesting to write. I know there are a lot of Mai haters out there, but I kinda like her. She's not one of my favourite characters, but I think she's pretty cool. I thought it would be cool to write about if Mai actually caught on to Zuko and Katara, and writing in Mai's PoV was pretty fun. This is an older Mai, obviously, and I feel like this is how an older Mai would think and act._

 _It relates to "lost" because Mai has lost Zuko's love to Katara. At first I was thinking of writing about Katara losing Zuko when he took the Lightning for her, but it ended up too close to his heart or something, but nah._

 _FYI, maiko is actually my Notp. I just can't understand how people ship it! Though I do love Mai, I just want her to be single and independent...am I the only one who wants Mai and Toph to be besties? I want this. Maybe it happens in the comics that I haven't actually read...I doubt it._

 _Omg we were talking about the end of the tempest in English class today and we were talking about forgiveness and revenge and all I could think about was southern raiders am I too obsessed?_

 _I hope you all liked this one, please review._

 _~Bri_


	4. Day 5- Wedding

_Wedding- a marriage ceremony, especially considered as including the associated celebrations._

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My dearest Katara,

I write to you in the privacy of my bedroom. Mai is out, visiting Ty Lee, and the servants know that I like to be alone when I sit down at my desk and brush ink onto parchment.

I just want to say that I am sorry.

Rumour has got out that I have been writing to you, and no one is pleased about the news. The Fire Lord, writing to the Avatar's wife...I know you hate to be called that, but to my people, none of that matters. In their eyes, their ruler should be loyal to his only Fire Lady. My advisor informed me that I need to stop writing to you, unless there would be consequences. I know our love is strong, but I fear that my people may think that the equality I am trying to restore is not what they want if it means I break the rules of marriage.

What I mean to tell you is that this will be my last letter to you.

I figured that, if this would be the last time I ever sent a rolled up parchment tied in gold ribbon to you, I would want it to be memorable. To be something that, even though we won't be in contact anymore, you can read and know that I will always keep you close to my heart, as you do for me.

If I could somehow defy the laws of time and visit my past self, and I told him I fell in love with Katara...

the girl whose icy village I raided in search of the Avatar;

The girl who stared me coldly in the eye as I pulled her grandmother from her arms;

The girl that I tracked around the world, trying to "regain my honour";

The girl that I saved from the Pirates;

The girl that I baited with her necklace;

The girl who told me to "go jump in the river";

The girl that I battled in the North Pole;

The girl who rose with the moon;

The girl who shouted at me when in the Crystal Catacombes together;

The girl that I betrayed;

The girl who refused to trust me again;

The girl who threatened to end my life;

...he would never believe me.

But if I visited my past self, and told him I fell in love the Katara...

The girl who offered to heal my scar;

The girl who gazed at me hopefully as she left;

The girl who's eyes shattered as I betrayed her;

The girl who I knew needed closure to her childhood trauma, as she had tried to give me with mine;

The girl who showed me her darkest side;

The girl who, after everything, was ready to forgive me;

The girl who surprised me with a hug;

The girl who assured me my uncle would forgive me;

The girl who went with me to face my sister;

The girl who I jumped in front of lightning for;

The girl who watched, unable to do anything, as I dived into the electricity;

The girl healed me;

The girl who I thanked;

The girl who said she was the one who should be thanking me;

The girl who stood by me silently as I watched my sister's mind crumble before my eyes;

The girl who blessed me with her kiss;

...he would definitely believe me.

I love you, Katara, I always and I always will.

You may think I am coming up with these words right this moment, but I am not. I am simply copying them from the old scrap of paper I keep locked in my desk drawer.

I remember writing it down in the candlelight, folding it up and tucking it underneath my pillow with the box and the ring. These words were my wedding speech.

I had always imagined saying these words to you as I ended the chapter of my life where the Fire Nation was my world and started a new chapter where you were my world. But today, I am writing these words to you as I end the chapter of my life where you are my world and starting a new chapter where the Fire Nation is my world.

Uncle always said things may not turn out how I plan them, but I wish that this time, it wasn't true.

But I cannot erase what has already happened, just as I can not erase ink. I have already married Mai, as you have married Aang. I have written my words in this ink, and now it is time to start a new chapter of my life where you are not my world.

And I suppose, that means...

Goodbye.

-Zuko

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 _I made a sad._

 _I'm sorry._

 _I think something is seriously wrong with me. This prompt is WEDDING, the most happy day of a couple's lives, and I write this._

 _I hope you guys liked this one, please review!_

 _-Bri_


	5. Day 6- Someone to die for

_Hurts- someone to die for_

 _When I'm standing in the fire_

 _I will look him in the eye_

 _And I will let the devil know that_

 _I was brave enough to die_

 _And there's no hell that he can show me_

 _That's deeper than my pride_

 _Cause I will never be forgotten_

 _Forever I'll fight_

 _And I don't need this life_

 _I just need..._

 _Somebody to die for_

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 _When I'm standing in the fire_

The fire was magnificent. Great mountains of orange and blue, bursting into light and fading within seconds. Heat scorched his skin and shaded his eyes, brushing against him as he rose the flames. Fire pumped through his veins, exploding from his palms and dancing in his eyes.

 _I will look him in the eye_

Azula stopped. Hands by her side, panting as heat prickled her flesh. Her dark hair fell in front of her face, her eyes dilating as she breathed heavily. _  
_

He caught her eye and her gaze flickered up to him. Her stare, hungry for power and adorned with insanity.

 _And I will let the devil know that_

 _I was brave enough to die_

"What, no lightning today? Afraid I'll redirect it?" His voice rung out as he got into position.

 _Breathe in and out, let the lightning pass through you,_ he told himself, thewords of his uncle ringing in his ears.

 _And_ _there's no hell that he can show me_

 _That's deeper than my pride_

She lunged forward, her hair flying and her eyes alight. "Oh, I'll show you lighting!" She snarled. Electricity crackled in her palm, weaving through her fingers.

He could do this.

 _Cause I will never be forgotten_

But what if her couldn't? What if he panicked, or lost control. A second too long, and he was dead.

No, he would do this. Just breath. All he had to do was shoot it back at her, and he would be the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord that restored peace and balance after the war, to be remembered for all time.

 _Forever I'll fight_

The Lightning crackled and hissed, spitting electricity, burning cerulean. He inhaled and exhaled, clamping his heartbeat. He was ready for this.

The Lightning shot out of her fingertips, but her gaze was not on him anymore.

It was on Katara.

 _And i don't need this life_

 _I just need..._

"Noo!"

He jumped. Soaring through the air, throwing his arms out to redirect Azula's power even though he knew it was no use. His yell ripped through the air, tearing through his burning throat.

 _Somebody to die for_

Agony exploded in his chest, setting his body alight as he crashed onto the ground, sprawled out on the stone. The electricity clawed at his flesh as he lay, quivering and shaking.

"Zuko!" She yelled out, shocked at his actions.

And then he was still.

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 _Hi guys! I hoped you liked this entry, I procrastinated on it a lot but I'm happy with how it turned out. I feel like there could've been more detail, but I'm lazy and meh._

 _I really wasn't sure to right for this one, so I pulled up the lyrics to the song, and was like, Hey! I STILL CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING._

 _But then I stared at them for about ten minutes and then left, and then watched a zutara AMV for the song, then watched more AMVs because I am addicted, then took a nap. But then I looked at the lyrics again and I was like, omg, the third verse! I can do that!_

 _And then I did that._

 _So yeah._

 _Anyway, I hope you liked it, it's a bit shorter but oh well, please review!_

 _-bri_


	6. Day 7- Regret

_Regret- to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that one has done or failed to do)._

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It was a cold night. Clouds swept across the grey sky like dead men's ghosts, their cries of loneliness fading into the howling wind.

She stood by the lake, absent mindedly bending the water as the moon intoxicated her.

Katara heard footsteps behind her and stopped. Who was up at midnight? Besides her of course, but she was a waterbender. It was natural for her. She clenched her fist, tightening the pull of the water, ready to strike the person behind her at any moment.

She could hear Sokka snoring in the distance, which meant it wasn't him. The footsteps were lighter than Toph's, but not as light as Aang's, which meant it was either Suki or Zuko.

She had a feeling it was Zuko.

A raspy voice broke the silence, confirming her suspicions. "Katara-"

"Go away." She interrupted, not wanting to hear what he had to say.

"Katara, I-"

" _Go away._ " she repeated more forcefully this time.

"Look-"

"Zuko, go away _now."_

"I'm not going anywhere."

She stopped. It was something in the way he said it that made her stomach clench and her mind go numb, made her want to turn around and push him against a wall and do _something._

It wasn't fair. His voice was too distracting and his scar was too intriguing and his little gestures towards her every day were too nice and they made Katara feel things she didn't want to feel.

Then again, maybe her stomach was just clenching in disgust. Maybe her mind was going numb in hatred and her knees were almost buckling in detest and her heart pounding against her chest in fury.

But Katara wasn't one to lie to herself.

 _I'm not going anywhere._

She spun around, her hair flying and her eyes fiery.

"Zuko, leave me alone, I don't want to talk."

"Please, Katara, I know what I did in Ba Sing Se was wrong but I've changed. I regret what I did."

"Oh, you regret what you did?" She spat. "Well, _regret_ doesn't change the fact that because of you, Aang died back there. He would still be dead if I had wasted my spirit water on you!"

"Yeah, well refusing to trust me again certainly doesn't change it either!" He raised his voice.

"But it will stop it from happening again." She hissed.

Zuko sighed, like he wanted to be exasperated but he couldn't quite reach the emotion.

"Look Katara, I'm sorry for what I did. I don't know how to get you to believe me, but-"

"You won't." She stated bluntly, noticing that they were slowly getting closer to eachother as they spoke. "You betrayed me in Ba Sing Se, and I won't let it happen aga-"

"How can you be so ignorant?" He yelled, his hair blowing in the wind. She hadn't seen him like this before. "You think this is all about you? How much I betrayed _you?_ I betrayed the man who stood by my side through everything I did, all the mistakes I made! God knows where I would be if I didn't have him! He stayed by me for three years! You trusted me for ten minutes, and suddenly the worst deed I've done is betray _you_? I-"

"Yes Zuko, I only trusted you for ten minutes! That's the point! If I trust you for ten minutes and you betray me, what the hell makes you think I would trust you again?"

"Katara, what do you want from me? I can't change the past, I can't turn back time and erase all the mistakes I've made. I regret what I did, and-"

"Regret isn't good enough!"

"Well _regret_ is all I have!"

They both stopped, their faces inches away from eachother. She hadn't meant for them to get _this_ close. She could hear him breathing, almost feel his hot breath in her cheeks. Their eyes were locked, wide and unblinking, the ocean bound to the sun. She could feel her heart rate quickening and her stomach writhing, her whole body on fire. An eternity went by every ticking second, until she couldn't take it anymore...

She kissed him. A hard, forceful kiss that numbed his lips and his mind, filled with emotion and heartache.

Katara pulled away, shocked at what she had done. How could she? She was supposed to _hate_ him! Her head was spinning and she couldn't think straight as he stared at her, his face unreadable. A tidal wave of emotions pulsed through her, all in the millisecond after the kiss. Her mind went into overload and suddenly-

His face stung as she pulled her hand back to her side, her fingers quivering.

" _I hate you."_

And with that, she was gone, running away to her tent as he stood by the lake, his cheek burning and his lips yearning for her own.

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 _Hi guys! I hope you like this entry, I want to be modest but I REALLY REALLY LOVE this entry._

 _I've had this one planned out before I even started zutara month, so I loooovved writing it. It's basically just a lil zutara argument before Katara trusts Zuko again. Idek why I like it so much it's not even super original or unique or anything._

 _Anyway, pls review!_

 _-bri_


	7. Day 8- Lullaby

_Lullaby- a quiet, gentle song sung to send a child to sleep.  
_

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She stood by the river, the dark strands of hair that had slipped out of her bun blowing softly in the breeze. She gently swayed, her eyelashes shading her eyes and the setting sun etching her face with shadows. Quiet words slipped from her lips like spun sugar, delicate and sweet. She sang a soft lullaby, a traditional water tribe song.

She held a child in her arms. A golden eyed girl with soft, supple skin a few shades lighter than her mother's. She had her father's sharp nose and dark hair and her mother's wide eyes and full lips. The melody spangled the child's ears with unconditional love.

He stood behind them. Far enough that she wouldn't notice his presence, but close enough that he could hear her song.

He wondered if Sokka knew that he was the father. If the infant's uncle hadn't figured it out yet, he would soon. The child's eyes were strikingly gold, a rare feature only found in the Fire Nation royal family.

Zuko wondered even more if Katara accepted him as the father. Their lust-fuelled nights, drunken with desire, weren't supposed to come to this. Though Aang had a crush on Katara when he was younger, it faded as he became older, as did their relationship. A little while after Aang and Katara broke up in their late teenage years, Toph and Aang got together. Katara was upset and, because they were doing business in the Fire Nation, went to Zuko. Harmless comforting turned into something more, and that something more turned into...well, _this_. It wasn't meant to be serious, but now it would need to be.

Katara had to accept it sooner or later. The child would be Fire Lord by birthright, and you can't just decreetly hide that.

Zuko didn't dare talk to her now; he knew she needed time. But he hope that one day, he would sing lullabies with Katara.

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 _Hi guys! I'm sooooo sorry for not updating yesterday, I had a Christmas concert and we got home really late. I hate this entry and I know it's really short, but at least I tried._

 _~Bri_


	8. Day 9- Sun and Moon

_Sun- the star round which the earth orbits._

 _Moon- the natural satellite of the earth, visible (chiefly at night) by reflected light from the sun._

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"Can you tell me a story?"

The girl was about six years old. Her large golden eyes shone hopefully, like flames in the entrinsic grey and her delicate hands fiddled with a loose string on her scarlet blanket, her dark waves of hair were lost in a sea of pillows and duvets.

Zuko smiled. He hardly got to see his daughter because of his work, and he wanted to make the most his time with her, even if it was telling a story, which he hadn't done since he was 16. He had told Katara a story about a turtle duck named Lee, to which she stated that he sucked at yelling stories.

"Of course I will."

She girl sat up excitedly, waiting for a story to lull her to sleep. The Fire Lord sat for a moment, trying to think of a story, when a voice rang into the room.

"Kizha, have you brushed your teeth yet? The fire lady asked.

"Yes!"

"Okay then, I'll come tuck you in." Katara entered her daughter's room, noticing that Zuko was there. It must have been a more relaxed day for the Fire Lord.

"Guess what? Daddy's gonna tell me a story!" Kizha informed her mother estatically.

"Oh, what's daddy going to tell you?"

"Uh..." Zuko ran his fingers through his hair, which he and let down from his topknot.

"I've told her about all our adventures, so I suppose that leaves you with that impressive turtle duck story you told me." Katara grinned at her husband.

"A turtle duck story?" Kizha asked, still excited.

"No, no, that's not a very good story." Zuko shook his head, still clueless for a story to tell.

"Well, what kind of story do you want?" Katara asked her child.

"Ummm...a love story!" Kizha replied. Zuko suddenly remembered a story that his mother had told him as a child. Relieved that he had finally got an idea, the fire Lord began to tell the story.

"Well, since a very long time ago-"

"You're supposed to start with once upon a time!" Kizha told her father.

"But sweetie, this story is still going on today." Zuko said. "So, since a very long time ago, a man and a woman lived high above the earth. The man had golden hair and eyes that flickered like fire. He wore golden armour that was set aflame, shining high up in the sky. The woman had soft silver hair that was so long it could wrap around our earth and bright blue eyes that mirrored the ocean. She had a dress made of stars and a heart of gold. They were called the sun and the moon. He ruled over the day and she ruled over the night.

One day, when the sun had finished his day's duties, he celebrated by creating a beautiful sunset as the moon began to rise. He never payed any attention to the lady of the night, but he spotted her out of the corner of his eye, dancing gracefully with the sea, her long hair spiralling around her and her dress glimmering as she twirled. He couldn't help falling in love. He ran to her, but it was too late; the moon was rising as the sun set, and they never truly met. But they passed looks and glances, and soon, the moon found herself in love as well."

"But I though that the moon likes uncle Sokka." Kizha folded her arms.

"Oh, no, this is before Yue turned into the moon spirit." Zuko explained to his daughter. "So the moon and the sun chased eachother endlessly, an eternal dance between the two. Their feet became blistered and their legs tired, but they never stopped.

The one day, the sun and he moon reached eachother. They held eachother in their arms as the first eclipse began, and the world stared in awe at their kiss. The end."

Zuko looked down at his little girl, who looked half asleep. Katara glanced at him and smiled.

"You've got better at telling stories, hun." She said, kissing his cheek gently.

Suddenly, Kizha spoke up. "You guys are like the story. Because waterbender so get their power from the moon and firebenders get their power from the sun."

"Thats right, sweetie." Katara said as Kizha drifted off. Zuko turned his attention to Katara.

"You ride with the moon, I rise with the sun."

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 _Hey everybody! (5SOSreferenceheheheheheee)_

 _I hope you like today's prompt, I'm still a day behind because I had a violin lesson and then a theory lesson straight after school and we only got home at 8:30 and then i needed eat and do hw and all that. You're lucky you even got one entry today._

 _I'm do proud of myself. I finally made a happy entry! Like, actually HAPPY! Okay, so most of it was writing a fairy tale, but still._

 _Also, I'm proud of that fairy tale. Whoop._

 _I got the name Kizha from an OC in this story that I scrapped. Apparently the names ruling planet is the sun, the colour is orange yellow and gold and the qualities are leadership, determination, aggression, self confidence, originality and impatience. idk if I believe all that stuff but it sounded perfect for my firebending OC and I couldn't think of a new name for Zutara child_ _._


	9. Day 10- Reincarnation

_Reincarnation- • the rebirth of a soul in another body._

 _• a person or animal in whom a particular soul is believed to have been reborn._

 _• a new version of something from the past._

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Katara was planted on the porch stairsteps, propping herself up on her shoulders. She held a book in her hands, her bright blue eyes following the story. Aang and Toph were earthbending, Suki and Sokka were in town, leaving Katara alone in the main area of the house. Well, except for Zuko, but he was probably off practicing firebending somewhere. It seemed that he never did anything else.

Katara was on a particularly good bit about the love triangle in the book, when she heard footsteps and looked up from behind her book. Apparently Zuko was not firebending, because he was a few feet in front of Katara without a trace of fire in his hands.

"What're you reading?" He inquired.

"Uhh..." Katara flipped the book around so she could see the title. "Love amongst the dragons."

"Oh, I love that book!" Zuko smiled, surprising Katara. Zuko didn't seem like the type of person to read much. "Where'd you find it?"

"I was looking for pots in the attic, when I came across it. I'm enjoying it so far."

"You know, a lot of people believe that it's actually a true story. There's a lot of evidence that it was happening a few years before the war began. Which makes sense because- actually, what bit are you up to?"

"The bit where the love triangle starts."

"Ooh, I'm glad I asked. I was about to tell you a spoiler. But the love triangle bit... Ozaki and Mika are so good together, aren't they?"

"Ozaki and Mika? No! Azik and Mika are much better together!"

"What do you mean? Ozaki and Mika are perfect for eachother! They've been great friends since they met!"

"Yeah, _friends._ And it should stay that way."

"No, Ozaki and Mika have already kissed."

"So? That doesn't mean anything. Besides, Ozaki just kissed Mika out of the blue and ran away. Azik wouldn't do that."

"Ozaki and Mika are meant for eachother, end of."

"No they aren't! You just can't look at it properly! Ozaki loves Mika, but doesn't what Mika feel matter? She hasn't shown any signs of liking him, besides a blush at the very beginning of the book. She's gotten over him. Mika likes Azik."

"But how can Mika like Azik? He's made so many bad choices."

"Yeah, but he's changed."

"So? She hated him for ages. She should still hate him."

"But she forgave him. They understand eachother, and their equal, and it's not one sided like it is with Ozaki."

"But it can't be one-sided if it's a love triangle."

"Yes it can, Ozaki just doesn't know it. He's stuck in his own little world where Mika loves him and they're destined for eachother and they live happily ever after. In real life, Mika just doesn't want to hurt Ozaki. He's so fragile, and it's not fair. Why can't she choose what she wants for once?"

Katara knew that they weren't talking about book characters anymore. Zuko was staring at Katara in a way she had never seen him look at her before, and she dared to meet his eye.

Maybe the story of Mika and Azik and Ozaki was true, and it seemed as if Katara and her friends were reincarnations.

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 _Hi guys! I hope you liked today's entry, I'm still a day behind but oh well, I kinda expected that to happen with school and all. Though I don't really have an excuse for not writing more than one today, other than I was wasting my life on avatar meps instead of doing something mildly productive. But really, can you blame me? Avatar meps are amazing._

 _That's for reading, pls review!_

 _-Bri_


	10. Day 11- Parallel

_Parallel- • (of lines, planes, or surfaces) side by side and having the same distance continuously between them._

 _• occurring or existing at the same time or in a similar way; corresponding._

 _• a person or thing that is similar or analogous to another._

 _• a similarity or comparison._

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Zuko heard crying in the tent next to him. If it was anyone else, he would've gone back to sleep. But it was Katara. He wasn't sure if he liked the fact that he was extremely biased towards the girl in any decision he made, but he certainly couldn't change this. So he got out of his tent and knocked on her tent door. There was no reply or indication to come in, just a little sniffle, so he spoke up.

"Katara?" He asked softly. There was a moment of quiet, before she spoke.

"Come in."

She had wiped her tears and stopped snuffling, but the redness around her eyes and the dried tear marks on her cheeks proved that Zuko had not just imagined the sound of her crying.

"What is it?" He inquired in a gentle tone that he could only recall using with her. She squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head as salty water fell from her eyes, catching on her lips like dewdrops on rose petals.

Zuko pushed away any awkwardness he was feeling and moved closer to her, his fingertips bushing along her back as he tried to comfort her. He wasn't good in social situations, but he wanted to help her in some way.

"I almost did it." She whispered, maybe to him or maybe to herself. "I wanted to do it."

He wasn't sure what to say; his mind went completely blank in situations like this. Luckily, she spoke again. "What would you have done?"

Oh. What to say?

"It doesn't matter what I would've done."

"Yes it does. I need someone else's opinion."

"You have Aang's. He said you did the right thing."

"Oh, like Aangknows. He doesn't get it. I want your opinion."

It was Zuko's turn to be silent now.

"What did you mean back there?" She asked.

"Where?"

"In Ba Sing Se. _That's something we have in common_."

He didn't like to talk about personal things. But their eyes met and somehow, it seemed okay to tell her. Natural, even.

"My father banished my mother. I haven't seen her since." It was much more than that, but the whole story was very complicated.

Katara hesitated, but she was curious. "Why did he banish her?"

And now for the whole complicated story.

"Back when my father was prince, my uncle was heir to the throne. My uncle had just lost his siege on Ba Sing Se, as well as his son." He took a heavy breath. Just talking about his uncle was hard. "My father went to talk to Fire Lord Azulon, to try to convince him to take my uncle's birthright. Uncle didn't have heirs anymore, and my father had two children. Fire Lord Azulon was furious. He said that my father needed to know the pain of losing a first born son...by sacrificing his own."

Katara's eyes widened in the dull moonlight.

"My father was going to do it. My mom found out, and...I don't know the full story, but my mother did something the night I was supposed to die. Something horrible. She came and talked to me that night and..." He could feel drops of water on his cheeks. "And then she was gone. My father said she might still be alive, but I don't know."

In his upbringing, crying was seen as shameful, a sign of weakness. But at this moment, next to Katara, he felt no shame in the tears that fell. She accepted him, and she understood him.

He didn't know how much time passed before she spoke. "Would you have done it? If you had the chance, right now, would you kill him?"

"I couldn't. That's Aang's destiny, not mine."

"But what if it wasn't?"

"I might. But he's done other things to me besides banish my mother."

She met his eye and that she knew. She knew it wasn't a just training injury. She reached her hand up, but it was different from last time. She didn't press her fingers into the patch, seeing if she could heal it. She softly cupped his face, her fingers skimming the rough, pink patch, as if accepting that his scar and his past did not define him.

They say things that are parallel never meet. But maybe this time was different.

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 _I actually wrote something!_

 _It may seem weird, bc this prompt is sooooo zutara, but I had horrible writers block for this one. I'm not particularly happy with this entry, but I hope you guys like it! Sorry for the lateness again, oops._

 _Pls review!_

 _~Bri_


	11. Day 12- Patience

_Patience- the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious._

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They say time will heal a broken heart, but no one no one ever said how it will break a waiting one.

It was the day of the Rati Ball in the Fire Nation, and all his friends were attending. After their breakup, Mai was no longer considered a friend, and he hoped that he wouldn't see her at the Ball.

Katara was going with Aang. He had never thought the two had been serious, that it was just a silly crush, but maybe he had been wrong. The pair seemed happy with eachother, and if Kayara was happy, that was enough.

Oh, who was he kidding? Of course he wanted her to be happy, but he refused to believe that Aang could make her happy. The avatar was 13 who spent most of his life with male air nomads like him. What did he know about love?

He had almost convinced his friends to let him off going, before uncle butted in and ruined all his persuasion. So now he was going to the annual ball in honour of the love goddess. Alone.

The worst part of it was that Katara noticed Zuko. She noticed him quite a few times. Their eyes met and, for a second, Zuko felt right again. Until Aang tapped on her shoulder to show her something, or to say something, and she forgot about the firebender sitting alone in the corner of the ball.

There was a huge dance at the end, where everyone was meant to get involved. Zuko did not. He just watched as Aang offered Katara his hand, and she took is. And they danced. What was worse, was that people saw the avatar and let him take centre stage. The dance was supposed to be for everyone, and suddenly Aang came along with his lovely waterbender that most people probably didn't know the name of, and suddenly they were so important.

Zuko felt very bitter.

He suddenly felt a hand on his back and looked up. It was one of his uncle's friends, Pakku.

"You should dance."

Zuko shook his head. "I'm not in the mood."

"Just because my granddaughter is dancing with someone else doesn't mean you can't enjoy the dance."

"How did you-"

"I can tell a waiting heart when I see one. Though I didn't expect the almighty Fire Lord to fall for a _water peasant."_

 _"_ She not a peasan-"

"Please, boy, I heard you when you were a bit younger. I'm just quoting you."

"Yeah, well, I've changed."

"I never said you haven't. She's changed too, you know. She's grown out of the avatar, whether she likes it or not."

"But...she looks so happy with him."

"Looks can be deceiving. She knows it's not the love she's after; or maybe she's yet to realise, but she will."

"Are you saying I still have a chance?"

"That's up to you. But you of all people should know that childhood crushes rarely work out."

"So what should I do?"

"You just need to be patient."

"I've been patient for long enough."

"Ha! I was patient for 56 years. You just have to wait for her, she'll come around eventually."

"Really?"

"Well, I don't know for a fact, but it worked for me."

For Zuko, that was good enough.

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 _Hi guys! I hope you liked this one, I wrote it really rushed but oh well. My entries are slowly getting worse and worse...sigh._

 _Pls review!_

 _-Bri_


	12. Day 13- Mythology

_Mythology-_ _a collection of myths, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition_.

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Everything was stupid. Stupid school, stupid teachers, stupid homework. Especially the last point. Why did she need to analyse the context and meaning of historical stories?

She was in a bad mood today, but who could blame her? She had been given a lunch time detention for no reason whatsoever (okay, maybe she shouldn't have been throwing paper aeroplanes across the classroom), and mom had kept her from going to hockey practice because of this. Could her day get much worse?

Well, apparently it could, because she still had a big book full of historical mythology to read. The title didn't even make sense; was is history, or was it mythology?

Still, she found the willpower to open the book and read through its dusty pages. It was boring. That is, until she got to the romance section.

Oh, how she would love to live in the past! Not only could you control the elements, but the was a seemingly endless amount of guys who weren't douchebags. What a way to live!

(Apart from the 100 war that was going on through most of the stories, of course.)

She had even figured out her favourite stories from the book. A really good one was with a guy and a girl from opposite water tribes who fell in love. She was a princess and he was a chief's son, but the girl was engaged to another man. In the end, the girl sacrificed herself for the moon spirit, and she died in his arms, but she came back as a spirit just to kiss him one last time.

Yeah, that was a good story. But the best one had everything; It was the story of a man from the Fire Nation and a woman from the Water Tribe (these names were once two of the four nations of the world, though they meant nothing now). They were enemies turned lovers, a prince and a peasant who grew to be the Fire Lord and Lady. She now recognised the man's name; he was the Fire Lord that restored peace to the four nations. Maybe she hadn't been paying attention to the history lesson when they talked of his wife, but she wished she had been. The two were absolutely perfect; they were opposites, fire and water, hot and cold, ying and yang, but their pasts were so similar. They even (unintentionally) dressed up as spirit lovers, the blue spirit and the painted lady, who were also written about in the book. And if that wasn't enough, he jumped in front of lightning for her at the end of the war, the day of sozin's comet! How romantic!

She soon found that she wanted to keep this book; it and stories that excited her, with bending and romance and the four elements. It was an escape from the dreary life of republic city, where bending was long gone and the four nations had faded away.

She wanted to make sure that this book of mythology never faded away.

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I'm not even going to talk about this entry. IT SUCKS SO BAD.

 _So...I might take a little break with writing entries for a few days, I'm getting tired. :(_

 _Then again, maybe not. I'll see how I feel tomorrow._

 _Ugh, we have a football assessment tomorrow. I suck at football. I can't defend, attack or even kick the football!_

 _(Oh, soccer for all my American Freundes)_

 _(That was German)_

 _Speaking of German, we're basically just eating German food tomorrow in German class. Whoop for German!_

 _You have all probably stopped reading, so I will shut up now. Goodbye._

 _Pls review!_

 _-Bri :3_


	13. Day 1415- RoyaltyCaught

_Royalty-_ _people of royal blood or status._

 _Caught- surprise (someone) in an incriminating situation or in the act of doing something wrong._

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"I'm going to go help Zuko."

"His shift is almost over, just wait till then."

"But his uncle just left, he might need help."

"I'm sure a few minutes alone in a tea shop won't harm him."

"Sokka's right, Sugar Queen. Besides, then we'll all get to see Zuko instead of you sneaking off with him again."

"I never sneak off with Zuko!"

"Whatever you say..."

"Ugh, I'm going."

Katara strolled over to the Jasmine Dragon and entered, a little bell jingling on the door as she walked in. Zuko's flickered in the direction of the door, his mouth curving into a smile when he saw who had entered. The water tribe girl advanced to the counter where Zuko was standing in a pale green apron.

"Hi." Zuko greeted her. "Where're the others?"

"They're coming once you've finished you shift. Do you want help?"

"Sure, the tea's in the back. You can pour the tea when I take orders."

"Okay." Katara smiled as she went to the back to get the tea. The aromatic smell of jasmine and chamomile wafted in the air as she began to pour the tea, using her waterbending to help. Once she had filled up a tray with the teacups, Katara exited the back of the shop, to find only a few customers were left; she hoped her friends were ready to drink a lot of tea. She set the tray down, when she heard a clamour at one of the tables.

"What do you mean you're out of green tea?" A man with grey-brown hair, olive skin and beady eyes questioned Zuko.

"Sir, I'm afraid it has been very popular today and-"

"So? Just make some more!" The man interupted rudely.

"What I mean to say is that we have ran out of the leaves to brew them in, sir." Zuko tried to be polite, while Katara felt anger bubbling in her stomach.

"So go get some more, boy! There's plenty around here."

"I'm afraid we can't just do that, sir. I'm the only server here, and I can't-"

"Then go get that peasant girl to do it, she's just standing arou-"

"She's not a _peasant._ " Zuko let go of politeness to defend Katara.

"She looks water tribe."

That was it. How dare this man not only cause such a racket, but also call her a peasant because of her ecthinity?

"As a matter of fact, I _am_ water tribe!" She told the man.

"So you're a peasant."

"I'm _not_ a peasant, but you, sir, are a very rude, ignorant man!"

"I want to talk to the manager!"

"Um, the manager is out right now, sir." Zuko said, returning to his quiet politeness. He never took confrontation well.

"Well, who's in charge?"

"Me, sir."

There was a moment of silence, before the man spoke again.

"What, the manager let a mere _boy_ run this place?"

"Actually, I'm his nephew, sir."

"Oh, _your his nephew,"_ the costumer mocked Zuko. That was the last straw for Katara.

"Do you even know who he is?" She exclaimed, hands on her hips.

"A waiter."

How did this guy not know who Zuko was? How out of the loop was this man?

Katara glanced at Zuko.

"I'm the Fire Lord, sir."

"Ridiculous! Fire Lord Ozai is the Fire Lord, and a terrible one!"

"And I'm his son."

"His son...oh, the famous banished Prince, disowned and scarred by his own father. Such an _honour_ to meet you today."

That was the moment when Zuko snapped.

"Well, that banished prince, disowned and scarred by his own father, is now Fire Lord. The old Fire Lord is in prison right now. His bending has been taken away, unlike mine, which means I could hurt you very badly if you ever dare to mention what my dearest _father_ did again," Zuko spat at the man. " _Sir"_

The man looked taken aback. He stared into Zuko's harsh golden eyes.

"Tea shop's closed, I'm afraid you'll have to leave." Zuko hissed. The man got up and left, leaving Zuko and Katara alone.

Zuko still looked tense from what had happened.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly.

"It's just...is that really what people think of me? Is my past all they see?"

"Zuko, that was a horrible man. The people of the world all love you, you've brought peace and equality." Katara assured him, though he still seemed down. "Hey, cheer up..." She brushed her lips against his. He softened and kissed her back, brushing his hands along her waist.

"Aha! I knew Sparky and Sugar Queen were dating!" A voice made the couple jump. Toph stood in the doorway with a triumphant look on her face. Iroh stood behind her.

"So _this_ is why you were so reluctant to the possible Fire Ladies I suggested, nephew."

Katara and Zuko glanced at eachother. "I guess we'll have to tell the others now."

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—

 _Hi guys! I hope you like today's entry, I'm finally up to date! Yay!_

 _The first part of this entry is how Zuko is royalty and the second is how they're caught by Toph and Iroh. I wasn't actually expecting to merge these two together. I was going to skip day 14 and just do caught, but then the first bit where they weren't actually caught was too long, and I realised it actually kind of related to royalty. I had fun writing this one, so that's always a plus. It's not my best writing, but hey ho. I'm just waiting for the holidays, where I just listen to 5sos, watch avatar AMVs, read fanfic, get ready for Christmas and of course write loads! Just day and 3 lessons more...so close but so far away (can you hear me?)...sorry, 5sos._

 _Anyway, hope you like today's entry, please review!_

~Bri


	14. Day 16- Forbidden (part 1)

_Forbidden- Not allowed; banned_

 _(An AU where Katara was taken hostage by Azula and Zuko in Ba Sing Se and brought to the fire nation. Aang did not die and Zuko still has Katara's necklace.)_

She scratched another mark onto the wall of her cell, off-white paint flaking onto the dusty ground. Day 47.

At first she had tried to bend herself out, slice the thick metal bars open with her any water she could find, but it was no use. Now, it was effort to sit up and take the food they gave her, much less run enough to produce enough sweat to bend with, and her month was too dry to produce enough saliva. She remembered when she had fought to get out, running at every chance she got and trying to grab the keys from guard's hand, grasping through the bars. Now she was reduced to bloody wrists and bitten nails, her hair a wild mess and her eyes dull, lost of the hope she once had.

Interrogation with Azula were agony. The princess would bruise her ribs and bloody her hands, slash her arms and burn her cheeks. She would speak with malice, venon in her veins and a set goal in her mind. But still, Katara would not tell her anything.

Today was interrogation with Zuko. She remembered at the start, when he would politely, almost uncomfortably, ask her where her friends were, and she would reply with silent hostility. Then one day he came at a different time, when she was not expecting him, and found her crying, salty water washing off the dirt on her face in thin streaks. To her surprise, he asked if she was okay. She replied with a choked 'no', and he tried, in his own, strange way, to comfort her. The next bit was a bit embarrassing, because after they had talked, she threw her arms around him and clung to his expensive robe.

So it carried on like that, she would pour out her despair to him and he would listen. She would sometimes hug him, and the more she did, to her dismay, she found she enjoyed hugging him. A lot.

Unfortunately for her, interrogation with Azula happened more often. Despite this, today was with Zuko.

The sound of a key in a lock awakened her from her thoughts, and Zuko entered her cell.

"I brought you food."

Her eyes flickered up to Zuko, wide in surprise. It was the first time he had done this.

"Thank you." She spoke after a few speechless seconds.

"Your welcome. I know the prison food is horrible, and there isn't much food in them, so I thought you might want some." Zuko explained. "You're hurt."

"Thanks for noticing." Katara rolled her eyes half heartedly.

"I know Azula hurts you, but you've got a huge cut on your cheek. It looks infected." He explained.

That didn't sound good. If only she had water...

She stared at him, pleading with her eyes.

"Katara, you know I can't."

"Zuko, please. I need to heal it."

"I'll get a healer."

"Healers don't help prisoners."

Zuko sighed and poured a dribble of water into the palm of her hands.

Now could be hear chance. To escape, become free, get out of this horrible prison. But she didn't. She pressed the water to her cheek and saw the glow out of the corner of her eye. What a joy it was to feel water in her hands again, rippled in it like heart beats, the water alive and dancing in her palm. She saw the glow disappear and her cheek felt almost purified. She wanted to keep the water, not to escape,but just to have her element alongside her once more, but she knew she couldn't.

"Here." She bent the water to him as he stared sadly. Then she didn't know what came over her; she began to cry, tears rolling down her cheeks and leaving marks on her face.

And this time, it was Zuko who hugged her.

He stood by the window, letting the cool evening air blow gently onto his face. Azula appeared behind him.

"Hello Zuzu. I'll take the peasant tomorrow."

"No, I will!" He said a little too forcefully. "I wouldn't want you...going to all the trouble of interagating her again. It must be tiring to hurt her so much."

"Well, isn't tiring for you to hurt her as well?"

"Er, yes. Of course it is. Hurting her." He forced himself say. "It's just, you've had her a lot lately, and I think I should tomorrow."

Azula narrowed her eyes at him.

"Careful brother, it almost sounds like you _care_ for the girl. I do hope you haven't developed _feelings_ for the peasant; you know that would be _forbidden."_ Azula said, before adding another thought. "Maybe I should watch you interagate her tomorrow, to make sure you're _hurting_ her if she doesn't talk."

No! He couldn't let her do that! He knew Katara wouldn't talk, and he didn't want to hurt her.

"You really don't need to do that."

"Oh, I think I do." Azula said as she left the room.

It was his fault. He should never have asked for her name. If he had just called her _peasant_ , he wouldn't get attached. But he called her _Katara_ , and look what had happened. he had begun to care for her.

And tomorrow, he would avoid her shattered blue eyes, betrayed by him once again, as he burned and kicked and beat her.

He would give her more water tomorrow.

 _It's a long entry! And it AU! Whoopdeyayy!_

 _I'm actually like this entry. I will probably do a part two tomorrow instead of tomorrow's prompt, because I can._

 _Hope you likey, please fave, review and follow!_


	15. Forbidden (part 2)

The sound of keys clanging against a lock made her look up, her cerulean eyes flickering in the torchlight. She saw golden eyes and shaggy hair, a hood shading his face. It was Zuko.

She smiled up at him, but he did not return the expression. He would not make eye contact with her, his eyes fixed on the freezing ground of the prison cell.

Something was wrong.

"Where's the avatar?" He asked, his lips barely moving but his resonating in the cell.

"I told you, I'm not saying." She replied, wondering why he was asking. He hadn't asked in a few weeks.

"Tell me now." He said more forcefully. " _Peasant_."

She took a step back. He never called her that. Azula would call her names like that, but not Zuko. He would call her Katara. He would always call her Katara.

Everything felt wrong. The way he spoke, the way his eyes refused to meet her's, his refined movements. The pit of her stomach curled and knotted, and she felt the urge to run.

"I'm going to ask you one last time." He spoke almost maliciously, "Where are your friends?"

He looked up, just for a second, and she saw that his golden eyes were pleading. She felt her stomach turn but she did not speak.

Seconds ticked by like hours as they stared, until his expression morphed. His golden eyes were apologetic and apprehensive as he raised his hand up.

Pain. Ripping through her stomach, poisoning her veins. Her ears rung and her mind burned as she tried to decipher one movement from the next.

He hit her again. Her arm stung as it flew back, cracking against the prison wall. Pain shot up her arm and met his fist as he striked her shoulder. She felt naucious and her whole body was clammy. He hit her again and again, and with each hit, one question rung in her mind, through the blur of her features and her limbs.

 _Why?_

He stopped and breathed, a heavy breath that sounded painful and guilty. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where is the avatar."

She whimpered and shook her head, tears in her eyes. How could he do this to her?

"I said," he grabbed her collar and stared her in the eye, and she noticed his eyes watered like hers. "Where is the avatar?"

"Get away from me." She whispered, blinking back tears.

A streak of saltwater marked his cheek, but he quickly wiped it away and clenched his jaw. She caught a glimpse of fire in his hands and felt her hands burning. He lashed her hands with fire and avoided her broken eyes once more.

She couldn't say how long it was before he left, nor did she want to know. She sat in the far corner of her cell, tears moistening her skin. Her body was on fire, but she found a pain in her chest was the most agonising. It was worse than Azula, not because he was more cruel or bloodthirsty, but because it was _him_. _He_ had done this to her, after everything he had done to help her. He was the thing that kept her going in this place, and now he was gone. Her body was shattered and her heart ripped out, her despair falling into the broken pieces of her limbs, her mind, her heart.

But as she sat, she heard a voice. A female voice, outside her cell.

"Well done, brother. I didn't think you had it in you."

 _Azula._

"I'm glad I watched over your interrogation."

Zuko replied with silence, his eyes shattered, as his sister walked back to Katara's cell.

"A little worse for wear, peasant." Azula glared at Katara.

The waterbender suddenly felt fire ignite in her veins and she shot up, clinging to the bars of the cell. She grabbed Azula's shirt and slammed her against the prison door.

"I will fucking _destroy_ you." Katara hissed, her eyes alight.

Azula steadied herself, overcoming disorientation.

"Bitch!" Azula screamed at her, her hands alight. Katara tried to move out of the way, but it was to late. The fire lashed her cheek, sending sparks of agony down her body.

And with that, the royal siblings left, Zuko glancing behind him sadly.

He went late at night, when he knew Azula would be sleeping. He unlocked the door to Katara's cell and found her slouching in a corner, wide awake. Her eyes flickered up to his, and he immediately looked away. How did he think that he could face her after what he had done?

Guilt weighed him down and made his shoulders slouch and his head hang. How could he have done this to her? He felt tears slip down his cheeks as he fell on his knees, bringing himself down to her height, her level. He wrapped his arms around her frail body.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He whispered into her shoulder, his voice raspy and weak.

"Zuko, I know Azula made you do it." She told him. "You don't need to be sorry."

"How can I not be?" He asked, lessening the hug so his arms were just skimming her shoulders. "Look what I did to you."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not!" He said, suddenly angry. "I hurt you!"

She caught his eye, and it was a few moments before he spoke again, quieter this time. "I brought you water to heal yourself."

She took it and healed her injuries, the water glowing in the dark prison cell.

"Thank you." She smiled weakly, and he took the necklace out of his pocket.

"I think it's time you got this back." He held the blue choked in the palm of his hand.

She gasped. "You kept it all this time?"

He nodded. He wrapped the blue satin around her neck and fastened it, a burning sensation in his stomach. He pulled his hands away and found Katara blushing.

"Why're you blushing?" He asked quietly.

"Oh, it's just...this is my mother's betrothel necklace, and you just put it on me, and..."

That was a betrothel necklace? How did he not realise that?

"Oh..." He said, embarrassed. She caught his eye and he felt heat on his cheeks to match her's. He may have moved his hands away, but their faces were nearer than he was used to, and her slightly parted lips were as well.

He felt himself leaning in as their lips touched, her eyes fluttering shut.

 _I do hope you haven't developed feelings for the peasant; you know that would be forbidden._

He pulled her closer.

 _Yay! Part two! Okay, so I skipped two prompts to do it, but I felt like it needed a part two. And yay, kiss!_

 _This entry was really hard to write because Zuko needed to hurt Katara and aghhhh. I wasn't actually planning to put a kiss in, but it just felt right...and besides, who doesn't need zutara kisses?_

 _I hope you liked part two, please fave, review and follow!_

 _~Bri_


	16. Day 19- Babysitting

_Babysitting- look after a child or children while the parents are out_.

When Suki wandered over to the beach, everyone was silent, watching three figured near the water as if they were at the theatre. Sokka caught her eye and gestured for her to come sit next to him.

"What's going on?" She asked to her boyfriend. Before Sokka could open his mouth, Toph answered for him.

" _Mommy Katara_ and _Daddy Zuko_ are trying to convince _little baby Aang_ that making avatar style fireworks is too dangerous."

"What exactly are avatar style fireworks?"

"I don't know, because you _interrupted._ " Toph told Suki.

"Well, I'm going over." Suki decided.

"Why? We're trying to enjoy the show!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Aang's not 12 anymore. He's 14, and he should know better." Suki stated, leaving out the fact that she wanted to play matchmaker with Katara and Zuko. Katara and Aang had broken up a while back and they, being them, were still on good terms. However, it was obvious that there were some feelings between the Zuko and Katara, and this would be the perfect oppurtunity to give them a little _nudge_ in the direction she wanted.

"Well, I'm coming too! I can't miss out on an oppurtunity to tease our friends." Toph folded her arms. "Besides, I could help you with the Sugar queen and Sparky situation."

Once again, the all-knowing Toph was onto Suki's plans.

"Fine, c'mon then." Suki and Toph strolled over to the trio.

"I'll come too, thanks for asking!" Sokka shouted as he caught up with them, Suki giggling at her boyfriend.

"Aang, you can't make your own fireworks! It's too dangerous!"

"Katara, I'll be safe! Zuko knows I'll be safe!"

"No way, I remember your last stunt. How did you think you were going to dive bomb into a rock _safely_?"

"Toph can do it!"

"That's because she didn't fly up 20 feet on an air glider before jumping onto the rock."

"And I'm a good earthbender." Toph finally butted in to the conversation.

"How long have you guys been listening in?" Katara asked

"Long enough to know that you and Sparky are having trouble babysitting Twinkletoes." Toph smirked.

"I- we are _not_ babysitting anyone!" Katara put her hands on her hips.

"Sure you aren't." Toph said sarcastically, before taking it upon herself to imitate the arguing trio.

"Mommy, I wanna make fireworks!

No dear, that's dangerous.

No it's not! Daddy, you'll let me make fireworks, won't you?

I'm afraid I agree with your mother on this one.

You always take mommy's side!

No, we just don't want you to get hur-"

"I do _not_ sound like that!" Katara, Zuko and Aang exclaimed in synchronism. Katara looked up at Suki.

"Suki knows we don't sound like that! Right, Suki?"

"Well, you and Zuko are kinda the parents of the group." Suki shrugged, trying to keep herself from grinning.

"Zuko and I are not parental!" Katara argued. "We're just _responsible_!"

"I am too!" Aang added, still trying to get his way with the fireworks.

Toph began imitating Katara, Zuko and Aang again, this time with Sokka's help.

"Ugh, I'm going to my room." Katara informed everyone, making the ruckus screech to a halt.

"Well, we upset Sugar Queen." Toph said. Everyone's eyes slowly trailed to Zuko.

"What?" He asked.

"Go cheer up your wife." Toph told him.

"She's not my wife!" Zuko insisted.

"She will be soon." Toph smiled.

"What? There is nothing goi-"

"Oh really? You forget, I'm blind, which means my other senses are stronger. And _that_ means that your guys' secret midnight conversations with eachother aren't so secret." Toph smirked. _This_ information of midnight conversations was new to Suki. "Now go help your wife."

Zuko headed in the direction Katara had went.

"So...will you guys let me make fireworks?" Aang asked.

Suki supposed if Katara and Zuko were mom and dad, that made her and Sokka the Aunt and Uncle that the kid would always try to win over. And Toph was...the sister? Or a best friend?

"Well, how do you make them?" Toph asked

By the time Aang was done explaining the ways of avatar fireworks, Sokka was out of funny faces and Suki was tired of blowing kisses to him. Luckily, Zuko had arrived.

"Zuko! Where's my sister?"

"She wants to talk to Suki." Zuko said.

"I'll go see what she wants." Suki shrugged, walking over Katara's room.

"Hey, what's up?" Suki asked her friend.

"Am I really motherly?" She sighed.

"Well, yeah, sometimes." Suki admitted. "Mostly to Aang and Toph."

"Well, their younger than me, and they're always thinking of stupid ideas that could get them killed."

"I know. That's why I was surprised when you went all lovey on Aang."

"He had a crush on me, so I though...why not?"

"So...is there anyone you like right now?"

"...no." Katara said bluntly.

"Really?" Suki drew out the word as she began to smile.

"Well, there is a guy..." Katara was blushing now.

"Who?" Suki asked enthusiastically.

"Uh..." Katara's voice dropped to a whisper. "Zuko."

Suki jumped up. "Yes! I knew it!"

"Is it that obvious?" Katara inquired worriedly.

"Well, I'm your best friend, I _know_ when this stuff happens." Suki said matter-of-factly. "But I think Zuko liked you too. We'll need to ask Toph to be sure though. She listens to your midnight conversations." Suki sighed happily. "See, your motherlyness is good! Now when you two have a kid, you guys will be awesome parents!"

"Woah, don't get ahead of yourself. More like babysitting you and Sokka's kid."

Then it was Suki's turn to blush.

 _YEAH I'M BACK WITH THE BABYSITTING PROMT!_

 _So I know I've been neglecting you guys for a while, but here's a long entry! Woo! This has sukka in it too, which makes me very happy! It's not my best writing, but hey, at least you got something._

 _Anyway, please fave, review and follow!_

 _-Bri_


	17. Day 21- Unravel

_Unravel- • undo (twisted, knitted, or woven threads)._

 _•_ _investigate and solve or explain (something complicated or puzzling)._

 _/ A continuation of parallel/_

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Her fingers skimmed along the jagged, red outline, feeling the agony and trauma etched into the wound. Her fingerprints were engraved into the rough patch of skin twice now, meeting only the swirling patterns of his own fingerprints.

This time, his eyes were open.

He stared into her oceanic eyes as she gazed into his golden irises. Her hand moved down to softly cup his cheek, but her fingers were still pressed against the edge of the scar.

She knew this wasn't a training accident. Not with the way his eyes met her's, as if her fingerprints marked an antique statue that showed horrifying events of the past.

When she opened her mouth, her voice was quiet, gentle, but the question rung out to him as if she had bellowed it.

"How?"

He had never told someone the story. The story that had replayed in the back of his mind for so long. The story that weighed his shoulders down and forced his head to hang whenever he saw his reflection. But for some reason, he felt he could tell her. This girl, who he used to think of as a peasant, someone not worthy of a real name; but they were more similar than he thought.

He took a deep breath.

"I wanted to go into a war meeting." He began, his voice not used to speaking of the day. "I thought it would be good for me, to be prepared for when I became fire Lord. When I went in, the general spoke of a horrible plan. A plan to use our own soldiers as bait, to just throw them away like they weren't real people, real people fighting for our nation. I needed to do _something_. Everyone was just _sitting_ there, as if it was okay. As if sacrificing our own men was something to do without thought. I couldn't just _sit_ there." He spat out the words as if they were venom. "I thought it was the right thing to do. I never meant any harm, I was thirteen. But it's disrespectful to speak out in a meeting, and the general challenged me to a fire duel; an Agni Kai." He paused, regret pooling in his eyes. "I accepted."

Katara thought he was done, that the rest was self-explanatory; the general scarred him in the Agni Kai. But Zuko carried on.

"I didn't get it. I didn't understand the challenge. I was only a child, how was I supposed to know what he really meant?" He raised his voice, before returning to his quiet volume. "The general wasn't with me; he was in the audience. It...it was the firelord."

Katara's eyes widened, looking fearful for the thirteen year old Zuko he told her of. Zuko wasn't sure how far he could go, how much he could tell.

"I refused to fight. I knealed before him begged him not to fight me. I..." Tears fell, reflecting his eyes in the darkness and rolling off his face. They caught on her fingerstips like liquid gold, feigning the rich colour and hiding sorrow. "He said I was weak, dishonourable. He said I would learn respect, and... suffering would be my teacher." He sobbed, salt water rolling down his cheeks. Suddenly, he fell into her arms and she wrapped her hands around his back, letting his tears soak into her shoulder. She knew the fire Lord was a horrible person, but this...this was beyond horrible. This was disgusting, vile. To burn his own son...

She felt a sudden anger at the Fire Lord. It pulsed through her veins like fire and made her blood simmer.

Zuko pulled away slightly and wiped his face. "Sorry." Her muttered.

"No."

"No...?"

"No, you don't have to be sorry. You have all the right to cry, and if your sadistic father told you that crying is some sign of _weakness_ , just like he thinks compassion and kindness is, then he can go _burn_ _in hell_." She spat, surprised at the hate in her words.

"It...I just meant sorry for...hugging you and all." Zuko explained.

"You don't have to be sorry for that either." A hint of a smile appeared on her face, and he couldn't help but match the slight grin. His eyes met her's and she found that she really did like his scar now. She knew the story behind it, and she didn't think he told it to many people. She had unraveled his scar now, and she was keeping an end of that red string.

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 _I made an entry and it doesn't completely suck! Sorry I've skipped so many prompts, I just uuuggghhh idk I don't actually have an excuse. But I like this entry, so hey. Katara unraveled the story of how Zuko got his scar, and I encorporated some red string prompt in there too at the very end._

 _I Hope you likey, please comment and vote!_


	18. Day 22- Illuminated

_Illuminated- lit up_

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The fire crackled by their feet, illuminating their faces. Their heads rested on eachother's shoulders and their hands were loosely intertwined in a loving, nostalgic way.

"Did you really let Appa go in Ba Sing Se?"

"Yes. It was kind of a turning point for me, my uncle said something about a metamorphosis or something. I guess it didn't change me enough, though; I still went on Azula's side."

"You know I forgive you."

"I know, but what about my uncle?" Zuko sighed. The pair were silent for a few moments, a shared thoughtfulness of the past.

"None of us actually knew you were in Ba Sing Se when we were." Katara told him.

"Well, it is a big place. What part were you in?" Zuko inquired.

"We were staying in the upper ring."

"Oh, we were in the lower ring."

"Really?" This surprised Katara. "I just expected you to be in the upper ring, because...I don't know. You're a prince and all."

"I definitely wasn't a prince at the time. My uncle and I were pretending to be refugees."

"What was it like in the lower ring?"

"It was okay. I mean, it was kind of rough, and it was certainly different to what I was used to back then, but there were some nice people there. Not everyone, of course; there were loads of criminals and scammers, and there was this one crazy guy who was kind of stalking me."

"You had a stalker?"

"Well, he was convinced I was a fire bender...and I was, but he ran into the tea shop we were working in and started to fight me with his hook swords, saying I would need to use my fire bending and all. I used my dual swords and he got taken away by the Dai Lee in the end. But anyway, most of the people were nice, and there were some nice places to go as well."

"What was your favourite place?"

"Well...there was this one place, but it's kind of embarrassing." Zuko scratched his head. "See, my uncle made me go on a date with this girl, Jin, and-"

"Was she nice?" Katara interupted.

"Uh, kind of. I didn't know her that well. She was kind of...perky."

"Perky?"

"Yeah, I guess. She made me juggle."

"What? How did she do that?" Katara laughed.

"Well, she kept asking me about my life, so I told her I was in a travelling circus and I juggled. She wanted me to juggle the bowls of food, and...it didn't work out too well. But anyway, she wanted to show me this fountain where all the lanterns around it. The fire in the lanterns makes the water all illuminated..."

"It sounds beautiful." Katara smiled, her eyes glowing in the firelight. "Will you take me there some time?"

She spoke it as if they were in a normal situation. As if it was certain that they would survive through this war, as if it was a fact that they would both be around to visit the fountain. Zuko wished he could think that way.

"Of course I will." He said.

The lightning crackled on her fingers, illuminating their faces. Katara stood in the sidelines, wanting to do something. She couldn't just stand there, waiting for Zuko to come out of this battle...because what if he didn't?

The sound of the electricity weaving through Azula's hands send chills down Katara's spine. Suddenly, the princess' stare moved and the Lightning shot from her fingertips.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, but Katara couldn't move. She was frozen, maybe in fear, maybe in shock. A scream ripped through the air, a shout of protest. A figure jumped in front of her, and suddenly, the deadly blue crackled out from his body, poisoning the sky with cerulean electricity. And all she could do was watch, watch the devastation before her as if it were a painting. He suddenly dropped to the ground, his body curled in agony.

"Zuko!" The cry seemed detached from her body. She felt numb and dizzy, as if she was in a dream, and running out to him seemed as if she was moving through molasses. Heat came shorting at her and she shielded her hands with water. Azula was blocking her from him.

The next bit was blurry. Azula generated lightning and fire, shooting it everywhere. Katara heard the girl yelling out blurry exclamations, muffled by the sound of her heartbeats and the single thought running through her mind, screaming and echoing in her head: _Get to Zuko._

Katara was running. She ran from the fire and she ran from the insane yells of Azula's crumbling mind. The only thing that gave her hope was the water. She bent it out and trapped herself and Azula in it, bending her way through the ice and tying the princess' hands together. She chained Azula's hands to the grate on the ground and ran to Zuko.

He lay on the ground, barely breathing, every movement seemed to be agony. Katara bent the water from her pouch onto his chest, feeling his dull heartbeat, the thumps seemed to barely be there at all. The water glowed for a second, illuminating their faces, but it stopped. Why did it stop? She tried again, but this time it stayed it's dull, transparent colour.

"No," She whispered. "No,"

His face was as pale as paper, his eyes dull and his body losing heat.

"Katara," he croaked, his voice scratchy and weak. "It won't work."

"It will!" She exclaimed, denying reality. "It will work!" She tried once more, the water unchanging. A tear slipped down her cheek, dropping onto the wound, and for a moment, she thought it might work. That her sorrow could save him. But this wasn't a fairytale; the tears of true love would not do anything for the prince.

"It's okay," Zuko told her, trying to look reassuring as Katara grabbed his hand.

For so long, Katara had lied to herself. She had lied to herself about the war, about the fate that was likely of them. But this time, she couldn't so it. It wasn't okay.

She began to sob, tears and sweat mingling and coating her face.

"Shh, it fine. It's all fine." He whispered, squeezing her hand.

"No it's not." She said, saltwater on her tongue. "I can't save you. I can't have people sacrificing themselves for me. First my mother, and now you, it's not fair. I should be dead. I should be electrocuted right now."

"No you shouldn't. I saved you-" his voice suddenly caught, pain shooting through his body. "I saved because I wanted to. Because I love you."

"Then I don't want you to love me."

"I can't help it." A hint of a smile appeared on his face, but failed to mask the pain that ignited his body.

"What about the fountain in Ba Sing Se?"

"Aang can take you there."

"I don't want Aang to take me there. I want to go there with you, and I want to bend the water form the fountain and I want you to bend the fire from the lanterns and the water to reflect the fire and for everything to be illuminated."

"Aang can bend fire." Zuko insisted, his voice weaker every second.

"But I don't want Aang. I don't want anyone else. I want you!"

"I love you, Katara. Remember that." He said, his voice almost indecipherable, squeezing her hand weakly.

"No! You can't die! I won't let you! I'll get your of here! I'll-"

Zuko just stared at her sadly. "I love you." His voice was just a shallow breath.

Katara took a breath, the tears on her face shining in the sunset. "I love you too."

His body became stone cold and his hand became heavy against her's. His eyes lost their last bit of illumination as they fluttered shut.

Katara always lied to herself about the war, pretended that she was a normal teenager without the weight of the world on her and her friend's shoulders. And if she tried very hard, she could almost pretend that Zuko was just sleeping.

Almost.

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 _It's Christmas Eve and I made a sad thing._

 _I don't have much to say. I'm sad now._

 _Please fave, review and follow._

 _-Bri_


	19. Day 23- pregnancy

_Pregnancy- the condition or period of being pregnant_.

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Katara had a problem.

It all started when she got a distaste for all fire nation food. Then her moon cycle was late. So she went to talk to the nurse, and sure enough, she was pregnant.

It wasn't so much the fact that she was pregnant that was a problem, more that she couldn't find a good time to tell Zuko. A new problem had come up, and he was busy with work. By the time he got to Katara, he just wanted to sleep. She didn't want his kind to be cloudy when he found out that he had an heir to the throne.

That was something Katara couldn't get her head around. This child was going to rule a whole Nation one day.

 _I'm going to tell him today._ She decided _. I don't care if he's too tired to process it, I'm going to tell him today._

Luckily, when dinner ended and the couple went to their room, Zuko seemed a bit perkier than he had been the past days.

"So...how your day?" Katara asked, trying to make small talk before telling her husband the news.

"It was fine. The problem hasn't got any worse, so that's a plus. How was your day?"

"Well, I actually have some news..." Katara couldn't help grinning.

"Is it good news?" Zuko asked hopefully.

"Yes, it is." Katara nodded. "I'm pregnant."

Zuko opened his mouth, but couldn't seem to find words. "Pregnant?"

"Yep!" Katara smiled

"I can't believe it!" Zuko exclaimed, pulling Katara into a hug. "You're pregnant!"

"I'm pregnant." Katara agreed. Zuko loosened the hug and held his wife's shoulders.

"I wonder if it's a boy or a girl? Will she like you or me? I hope she has your eyes...and she'll be heir to the throne! Or he, of course. But still!" Zuko exclaimed.

"You're such a spaz when you're excited." Katara stated.

"Hey! I'm just excited because you're having a kid!"

"I know." Katara smiled, pecking her husband's lips. Zuko suddenly frowned.

"What if I'm a bad father?" He questioned.

"Don't say that!"

"I've never had any experience! And I didn't exactly have the best dad to learn from. What if I'm uncaring? What if she hates me? What if we have another kid and I show favouritism? What if-"

Katara loosely wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're going to be a great father, Zuko." She assured him, kissing him again.

"And you're going to be an amazing mother."

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 _Here, have a horribly written one-shot from me!_

 _I hate this entry. I hate it with a passion and uuuggghghghhhh why do I even write stuff..?.,?.._

 _Please review, fave and follow._


	20. Day 24- Strangers

An old woman sits in front of a crackling fireplace, the glow of the flame contrasting with the dimmed lights, making the lines of age etched on her cheeks seem harsher. She hums a quiet tune to herself, a song that tells a tale far away from Republic City. A tale of excitement and adrenaline and battlelust and bloodshed, of pain and loss and danger. A tale where teenagers were played as Knights and children played as heroes; a tale of war.

And, surprisingly, a tale of love.

The decision was not easy. It was not just a battle between who she truly loved, it was a battle of what she viewed love as. No, the decision was not easy at all.

Aang loved her. He was the type of man whose undenying love was always there. You were never without it. He was loyal, he was kind, he was optimistic. He was always a shoulder to cry on, always there for support. He was her best friend. You could always predict what Aang would do, he was always safe and secure. He was everything a girl could want.

Zuko did not love her. She was sure of this. He had his betrothed, and he had a destiny laid out before him. A destiny where she did not belong. There was always the extra glance towards her, always the extra deed. He would sometimes look at her in a strange, melancholy way, a sort of longing. But still, she was sure that Zuko did not love her. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. Maybe she didn't want to know, she was scared of the answer.

Aang was predictable. He was fun. He was the sunshine peeking out behind a storm cloud. He was the optimism in the darkest moment. All he wanted to do was make her happy, and still, it took her so long to decide weather she wanted him to make her happy.

Zuko was intriguing. He had changed so much, and somehow, she had seen him change more than any of her friends. He was _personal_. She knew it wouldn't work, but still she felt drawn to him somehow. They were supposed to be opposites, but she felt so similar to him. He was not someone to look after, and this interested her. He knew things about her that had never dreamt of sharing. She knew that he could make her happy, but it was the question of if he wanted to her not.

Aang was light personified, Zuko was dark. But she knew that Zuko had lightness inside him too, just like she secretly had darkness inside of her. Maybe what scared her about Aang was he didn't seem to have darkness inside of him. Aang gave her freedom and fun, a sense of childhood again. Zuko gave her a sense of maturity and empathy.

They were both so different, but somehow, she ended up falling for them both.

Aang's love was like him. It was fun and free, it was respectful and sweet, but it was also childish. His kisses were light and soft, like a feather, and almost chaste, platatonic. They were the type of kisses that made her want to cuddle him, or kiss his cheek in the same way.

Zuko's love- if he did love her- was also like him. It was fiery and unexpected, it was mature and understanding, but would it bear the laws of time, or would it weather with age? She had shared one kiss with Zuko, and it was soft, but it had undertones that seemed terrifying, but brilliant at the same time. It was the type of kiss that made her want to kiss him again.

She is happy with her decision. Her life did not go as she planned, and it was disappointing in some ways, but that was expected. She is proud of the life she led and the family she raised.

Aang was a good husband. He was loyal and faithful, always by her side. She and Zuko have drifted away from eachother, distance forcing them to become strangers once more.

But sitting by the fire, and old widow now, she can't belp wondering what her life would be like if she had chosen to become Fire Lady Katara.

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 _Hi guys! I hope you liked today's entry, merry Christmas!_

 _I got 5sos merch for Christmas. A t shirt, a hoodie, a beanie, phone cases, a bracelet, a calendar, the 5sos book, a flippin pencil case..._

 _Dang I sound really spoiled. But guess what? I got avatar stuff too! (so yeah Xmas was fandom merch for me. Happy life)_

 _So funny story. My mums a kataanger. I told her that Zuko and katara were actually supposed to happen but they changed it, and she looked at me like a was insane...:(_

 _So I kinda kept all my zutara stuff discreet, idek why, but I was looking at avatar t-shirts with her for Xmas, and she sees this shirt saying keep calm and ship zutara._

 _And she was like "zutara...that's what you like, isn't it?"_

 _I never told her about zutara. I never even told her any ship names for avatar._

 _So is either a secret zutara shipper (which is unlikely), or she has been stalking my Pinterest. OR EVEN WORSE, SHE COULD BE READING THESE STORIES. THESE ZUTARA STORIES._

 _I hate people I know reading my work. And I'm 13, I've never had a boyfriend, and she's probably wondering how I think of all these entries if I have never kissed a dude that wasn't my brother... Cuz let's be honest 13 year old dudes aren't cool at all. Excluding Aang, obvs, and he's 12. And I go to an all girls school, so whatever._

 _Who knows. She could be reading this AN right now...I don't even want to think about this right now._

 _Okay, anyway, I got this ying and yang shirt, but half of it was the fire symbol and half of it was the water symbol. DISCREET ZUTARA._

 _Aaaaaannnd I got THE SEARCH COMICS! I read them, and they were amazing! *slught spoilers ahead*_

 _Can I just say, they downplayed zutara soooo much. Uuuggghghghhhh why bryke why?_

 _Also, I'm pretty sure this comic is two years after avatar ended. WHEN IS THE "HONEYMOON PHASE" OR WHATEVER ITS CALLED GOING TO WEAR OFF FOR KATAANG? BECAUSE IM READY FOR THEM TO START ACTING OIKE A REAL COUPLE. LIKE STOP WITH THE SWEETIES AND WHAT WAS THAT WEIRD EYE CONTACT THING WITH EACHOTHER WHEN THEY WERE TALING TO IKEM AND URSA ABOUT MARRAIGE. LIKE WHAT? NO. YOU ARE 14 AND 16. THIS IS NOT RIGHT._

 _also, considering Aang and Katara are 14 and 16 in the comic, this proves to judgey kataangers that I don't just like zutara because Aang is too young for Katara. It's not age, it's maturity, and Aang still isn't mature enough at 14 imo._

 _Okay, rant finished, I'm gonna go. Wait omG ITS 6.02 AM I HAVENT GOTTEN ANY SLEEP AAGRHH HOW DID I MISS THIS? SHOULD I JUST PULL AN ALL NIGHTER? I DONT FEEL TIRED WHAT IS WRONG WITH MEEEE AAAHHHHH_

 _pls fave, review and follow!_


	21. Day 26- Escape

_Escape- • break free from confinement or control._

 _• fail to be noticed or remembered by (someone)._

 _• an act of breaking free from confinement or control._

 _• a form of temporary distraction from reality or routine._

 _/a continuation of forbidden/_

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Katara sat huddled in the corner of her cell, trying to take her mind off the nagging thought in the back of her mind. If she had counted the days scratched onto the wall correctly, today was the day of black sun; her friends were invading today.

 _Her friends_. It seemèd like an eternity since she had seen them last, and the sharp edges and details of their faces seemed blunter and fuzzier now.

They could get her out of here. They could rescue her from this horrible place. But she couldn't think of that. It gave her hope, and she knew that was a dangerous thing.

She remembered Aang once saying that hope was a distraction, to which she told him never to lose hope. Now she wasn't sure.

She had heard crashing and yelling late last night in the prison building. Heavy footsteps confirmed that there was an escapee. No one seemed to stop the prisoner; or at least successfully. She wished she could be that person, running free from this dull, disgusting life of agony and rot.

Suddenly, someone came running into her cell. She wanted it to be Aang or Sokka or Toph, but she could tell that it wasn't by the distinctive sound of fire nation shoes thumping onto the ground. She looked up and saw Zuko, keys clanging against the metal bars.

"What are you doing here? I already had interragation with Azu-"

"We are escaping. C'mon." He urged her, tugging her arm.

Escaping? She couldn't process the thought; she had dreamed of this, but now it was actually happening...and with Zuko...

"Ehat do you mean "we"?" She questioned.

"I mean that you and I are getting out of here. Let's go!"

"But...you're the Fire Prince. I-"

"I'll answer everything later, right now we need to _leave_. The firebenders have their power back."

"What? Why didn't you get me sooner."

"I told you, I'll tell you later!"

He pulled her up and gripped her hand, running out of the cell and monouvering the halls of the prison. Her legs tired quickly, but the continued to thump onto the floor, matching the rhythm of Zuko's. He fire don't guards out of the way, shielding Katara as he did so.

"Zuko, give me some water." She demanded. She couldn't see him doing all this and not fight alongside him. He pulled her behind a wall and handed her a water pouch. She drank a gulp before bending it into her own pouch. To be in control of the water once more was like heaven, but she couldn't savour it; they needed to keep moving.

They ran for who knows long, swerving and meandering and battling all in a blur of hands and feet, water and fire.

"How much further?" She asked through panted breaths.

"We need to get to a war balloon. There's some over there." He pointed to a spot in the distance.

"That far?" She asked.

"Yeah." He seemed to suddenly realise that she wasn't used to all this running. Her body was weak from lack of food and constant beatings from Azula, and she hadn't done anything tiring for months. "You're doing great, tell me if you get too tired."

"Okay." She nodded. That moment was probobly ten minutes ago, but she forced herself to keep going. _Just a little bit further-_

No. A few minutes later, and she could barely utter the word " _stop_ " she was panting so heavily. He pulled her behind a wall. Her body ached all over and her stomach felt very wrong-

She groaned as her prison food went onto the floor.

"Ah!" Zuko exclaimed, surprised at the sudden drama. "Are..,you oka-"

He was interupted by another groan and he tentatively held her hair back. What else could her do?

Luckily, it was all over soon.

"Sorry." She muttered, bending some water into her mouth to drink.

"Are you okay to run now?" He asked.

"Uh..." She did not feel up to running. She may have stopped throwing up everywhere, but her stomach definitely didn't feel good. But she needed o get to that air balloon!

"Should I...do you want me to, uh, carry you?" Zuko suggested.

"Um...that might help...if it's not too much trouble..."

He lifted her up and carried her with one hand, so his other was free for firebending. She readied her hands to bend water out of her pouch.

"You okay?" He confirmed.

"Yep." _As okay as I'll ever be in my position._

He began to run again, slightly slower because he was carrying Katara. Surprisingly enough, time went by much quicker when you were being carried.

"Here we are." Zuko lifted her up into the war balloon, before climbing on himself and taking off, using his firebending to power the balloon.

"So...where are we going?" Katara asked. Zuko just pointed ahead of them.

She couldn't believe her eyes. _Appa_? She took a double take, and she saw that Appa was in armour, with Sokka, Aang, Toph, Haru, Teo and the Duke riding on his back.

"Why are we following them?!" She asked.

"I'm going to try to join your group and teach Aang firebending." Zuko confessed.

"What? But...why? I thought you hated Aang!"

"I...I've changed a lot. I had nothing when my uncle and I were in Ba Sing Se, but when I came back to the fire nation...I just wasn't happy. I've realised that I can determine my own destiny."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know...I couldn't tell anyone. I needed to be sure in my head before I said it out loud, I guess."

"I can't believe it! I'm going to see my friends again, and now you're going to be part of our group!" She exclaimed. "I'll see you every day..." She smiled.

"Well, I don't know if your friends will accept me."

"They will. You saved me, Zuko. Even if they don't trust you, they trust me, and you...you mean a lot to me."

"Really?"

Her cheeks felt warm.

"Yes."

His lips brushed her forehead and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you. For everything." She whispered, absorbing his warmth.

It was a while before Zuko spoke. "You should get some rest. Today's been tiring."

"Where do I sleep." She asked.

"There's a sleeping bag in my bag, you can sleep in that."

"Then where will you sleep?"

"I need to power the balloon." He said. She frowned. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." He assured her.

"Okay." She sighed, yawning. She _was_ tired.

"I'll wake you up in the morning."

"Okay, goodnight."

It wasn't long before she drifted off.

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 _Hi guys! I hope you liked today's entry, I enjoyed writing it._

 _Yes, the escapee that Katara heard was uncle Iroh._

 _Please fave, review and follow!_

 _~Bri_


	22. Day 28- Partners in Crime

_A Robin Hood-esque AU, the painted lady and the blue spirit steal from the rich to give to the poor._

 _I_ _suppose this could also relate to the "strangers prompt",because they don't know eachother._

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The berries looked a bit like blood once she had prepared them.

She dipped her fingers in the smooth crimson paste, drawing swirling patterns on her dark complection. Vermillion shaded her eyes and tinged her lips, adorned her cheeks and stained her fingertips. The girl then undid her hair, untangling it with her fingers and letting it hang in a dark curtain across her back. She put her hat on her head, letting the veil cover her face like a layer of mist.

She was now the painted lady, the mysterious spirit who gave to the poor.

He ran his fingers along the mask, tracing the crude features and outlining the think white lines. He left fingerprints on the cerulean tinged face, his hands reaching the smooth fabric on in the back of the mask. He pressed the cold wood onto his pale face, tying it tightly to the back of his head, the black fabric becoming lost in his dark, shaggy hair. The mask grinned at him in his reflection, deception woven into the smile. He gripped the handles of his dual blades and tried to forget the fact that the violent red that coloured his ear was still very visible.

He was now the blue spirit, the mysterious man who stole from the rich.

He crept through the earth kingdom streets silently, while she ran from house to house, her veil flying in the wind. They did not notice eachother.

He found the house he was looking for. The Qan family, very rich and very powerful. Too bad they were malicious tyrants. He was about to break in, when he sensed someone behind him. He turned around, pulling his duel blades out of their case.

A man stood in front of her, duel blades held out dangerously. His knuckles were white as they gripped the swords, and he wore a blue and white mask. The colours of the water tribes.

The girl wore a long dress and a large hat, a veil covering her face but not hiding her features. She was obviously water tribe, with cinnamon coloured skin, dark brown hair and sapphire blue eyes. Red paint created patterns on her skin. Red, the colour of of the fire nation.

"What are you doing?" She questioned the man.

"I could ask you the same thing." He pointed out.

"Well, it _looks_ like you're stealing from the Qan family. Not a smart move, if you ask me."

"Well then, it's a good thing I didn't ask you."

"I'm just trying to make sure you don't get yourself in trouble."

"Thanks, but I'm capable of doing what myself."

"I suppose you are, _Blue Spirit_."

"You've seen my wanted poster then?"

"Who hasn't?"

"I've seen yours too, _Painted Lady._ What are you doing out on this fine night?"

"I asked first, but since I know you're stealing, I'll tell you. I'm giving food and medicine to the poor."

"A good samritan, I see. But why are you wanted?"

"Breaking into people's homes. Not for reasons like your's, but it's still a crime."

A few moments were spent in silence, before the girl spoke again.

"Who are you?"

"As you said yourself, the blue spirit."

"No. Who's behind the mask?"

"Who's behind the veil?"

"I asked first."

"I have a no names policy."

"And I have a no bullshit policy."

"I'm Lee."

"Oh please, I can see golden eyes behind that mask of yours. That's upper class fire nation genes; You don't have a poor boy's name like Lee."

"Well, that's what it is."

"Tell me your real name and I'll tell you mine. I won't judge."

The man sighed and put his hands my his sides, his swords hanging from his hands.

"My name... is Zuko."

" _Prince_ Zuko?"

"Formerly."

"Why are you here in the earth kingdom?"

"You still haven't answered my question."

"I'm Katara."

"And why are you here in the earth kingdom?"

"Does it matter?"

"No. I'm just asking you what you ask me. If you're so curious, tell me something about yourself that's actually important."

"I'm a waterbender."

"And I'm a firebender."

"Why do you use swords if you're a firebender?"

"Fire's too eye catching sometimes. When you're stealing, you need to be as invisible as possible. You don't seem to have caught on to the idea." He eyed her intricate dress and bright face paint.

"I don't need to be stealthy. I help people, whereas you steal from people."

"Does stealing from bad people make you a bad person?"

 _That_ was a good question.

"Well...are you giving the things to someone who needs them?"

"I need them."

"Oh please, you're a prince-"

" _Formerly_."

"Well, I'm going to offer a little deal. I give to the poor, you steal from the rich. If we worked together, we could steal from the rich, keep some for ourselves and give some to the poor."

He stopped. Zuko was independent, he was better working on his own, but this girl interested him. How much could they do together if they were already so separately well known?

"Promise not to rat me out to the police?"

"Why would I? You could do the exact same to me."

"Fine then. Deal."

"So, how about we give Mr Qan here a taste of reality for his spoiled tastebuds?"

"Sounds great."

It was a clear night, months after Zuko and Katara's first encounter with eachother. The pair had just gotten back from giving money to the children who slept on the streets, and they sat under an oak tree.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's under the mask?"

It had been so long since she first asked him that, since he tried to convince her that his name was Lee and she just looked at him with one raised eyebrow, as if to say "you think I'm dumb enough to believe that?"

But this time, she meant something different. She wanted to see the face behind the mask.

"If I can lift your veil, you can take off my mask."

Her hands brushed against the smooth blue face, reaching back to untie it. Her hands ran through his hair as she undid the knot and pulled the mask away. At the same time, he lifted her hat and watched as her face came into focus.

He was quite handsome. His pale skin and his Amber eyes, his sharp features and dark hair. A jagged, red scar outlined his left eye. Her mind questioned the injury, but she did not say anything. She had asked enough for tonight.

She was beautiful. Her bright blue eyes seemed enhanced by the moonlight and the red paint seemed to complement her dark skin perfectly. Wavy brown hair framed her face and blew slightly in the wind.

Their eyes met and Katara realised that they were closer to eachother than she had thought. Zuko leant in and she felt herself doing the same, until there was no longer a gap between them. Their lips touched and she closed her eyes, experiencing the kiss as if it was her first.

They pulled away, still close enough to feel eachother's breath on their faces. Her face let warm, and she saw that his cheeks were rosy.

"I'm glad you accepted."

"What?"

"I glad you accepted my deal. To work together."

"And glad too."

Their lips touched again.

They had agreed to be partners in crime, but they never thought they would become partners in life.l

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 _Woo, I did this prompt! I needed to do a blue spirit painted lady entry, so here you go! Zuko and Katara don't know eachother in this, so it could be counted as "strangers" as well, I guess._

 _I feel like they're a bit older in this. Don't know why, they way I wrote them just sounds older._

 _Sadly, my mum has banned me from having electronics at night, and since I write best and most efficiently at night time, I might update slower or poorly written. Sorry, but what mama says, goes._

 _Or maybe I will see if I can write in my phone. But the keyboard is quite small, so idk._

 _Please fave, follow and review!_

 _~Bri_


	23. Day 29- History

_Modern AU_

 _—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—_

"What year did the Spanish Armada set sail?"

"Uhhh...1688."

"Zuko! We've been over this a million times!" Katara exclaimed, exasperated. Zuko groaned.

Why did she have to do that? She had her hands on her hips and her eyebrow quirked up, and it made him want to push her against a wall and kiss her until her lips went numb.

It did not make him want to study history.

"Can you seriously not remember?" Zuko shook his head and Katara sighed. "The Spanish Armada set sail in _1588_."

"I said that!"

"No you didn't! You said 1688!"

His girlfriend was not easily tricked.

"Can we stop now?" He begged. He was so _done_ with history he just wanted to bury himself in Katara's pillow.

"Well, we would be done, but since you so kindly mentioned 1688, what important historical event happened in 1688."

"Katara!" Zuko whined, burying his face in his hands. "We've been studying for, like, 3 hours. I want a break!"

"Half that time, actually. You just need to answer this question."

If Zuko couldn't see Katara through his hands, but he was 99% sure that she was smirking.

"Uh...in 1688...the German declared war on the French. No! No, the French declared war on the German."

"Correct, and the French King at the time was..."

"No! I'm not answering!"

Katara smiled and walked over to her boyfriend.

"That was the longerst you've studied without getting annoyed. One and a half hours."

"My head hurts."

She ruffled his dark hair and leant in, brushing her lips against his. It quickly became heated; one minute, they were pecking eachother's lips and the next, their tongues were dancing and Katara was tugging at Zuko's shirt.

The phone rang. Zuko sighed and answered it.

"Zuzu, come pick me and Ty Lee up!"

"Azula, can't Mai pick you guys up?"

Katara's face frowned a little when he said Mai's name.

"She's not answering her calls." Azula said. "Why are you breathing so hard? Are you having sex?"

"What? No!"

"With Sokka?"

"I'm not having sex and I'm not gay! I'm coming to get you."

"Take out the last three words and that's exactly what you would be doing if Mai was picking us up." Azula muttered.

"What?"

Azula had already hung up.

"Sorry, I gotta got pick up Azu-"

"I heard. Text me soon."

"K, see ya." He pecked her lips and left.

 _Welcome to sucking writing town. This is Bri, the mayor of sucks writing town. She is the mayor because her writing sucks._

 _Not happy with this entry. Oh well_

 _~Bri_


	24. Day 30- Survive

_Survive- continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship_.

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She had always known this would happen. She should have tried to prevent it, but she was too caught up in her own love to think about anything else.

I suppose he thought it would be a surprise. And it was, it was very surprising. But not in the way he wanted.

He was on one knee in front of her, a betrothel necklace in his hand. Her father was crying and so was Gran Gran. Even Sokka let a few tears slip down his cheeks.

They shouldn't have been crying. They could cried when she had came back from the war, when she had healed so many ill children in their tribe, when she was elected the ambassador of the southern water tribe. But not now.

Then again, she felt like crying as well. But not like they were. Not in happiness.

She looked at the shining grey eyes of the man in front of her. She wanted to run away, she wanted to scream profanities to the gods, she wanted to curl up in her bed sheets and cry.

"Of course I will, Aang."

His face broke into a smile so full of joy and content, she felt guilty that she had to feign happiness. He lifted her up, bridal style, and kissed her. She heard people applauding around her, cheering for Aang and her.

She did not want the celebration.

She found him by the window, his hair softly blowing in the wind

"Zuko..." She began.

"I know."

That was when the tears began to fall. She clutched his robes and let her tears soak into the fabric.

"You're not mad?" She asked. "That I accepted?"

"Of course not. I'm upset, but not at you, and I'm certainly not mad."

She buried her head into the crook of his neck.

Deep down, they knew it would come to this.

She would be fine. She would survive this life with Aang, and she would find happiness in surviving it.

It was just the fact the, while she would _survive_ with Aang, she could've _lived_ with Zuko.


End file.
